A Cinderella Story
by AnGeL's PriDe
Summary: My take on Hilary Duff's new movie. Serena meets a mystery guy online who she starts chatting with and smsing. As fate would have it, he's actually the high school hottie. Realising this, she snaps back to reality & tries to foil his plans to find her.
1. Prologue

Hi all, I know my account has been looking kind of dead for the past two years or so and I do intend on finishing my other story one day so thank you to everyone who reviewed. However, at the moment this idea has caught my fancy and I shall be working on this for a while. But be expecting irregular sporadic updates because there's about 3 months till my university entrance exam (known as the HSC in Aus) and I need to start study (as much as I can be bothered). Well that's all from me, so enjoy and be gentle with flames.

**

* * *

**

**::Prologue: :**

_Cinderella lived with her wicked step-mother and two wicked step- sisters...  
_  
He's tall, he's handsome and he's Prince Charming...of her dreams. Serena slid down the front seat of her cheap Magna and watched as her dream boy stepped out of his sassy Honda S2000, making his way across the carpark. Time seemed to slow down as he took each step towards her car. Serena sighed. There was no way he'd notice her, he'd probably just walk past indifferently – the same way he did every day. Ever since Serena acquired her license, she hogged the exact same parking each morning in order to catch a brief glimpse of him before dashing off to another torturous day at school. Darien Shields was the only thing that fuelled her energy in her pathetic and miserable existence.  
  
Serena stared wistfully as a redhead sauntered up to Darien and gave him a smack on the lips, and that's when Serena was brought back to reality. Darien Shields, the über popular quarterback, was dating the head cheerleader Beryl Summers; they were the perfect couple, save the fact that Beryl was a slut and a half. As the name suggests, Beryl was a complete airhead who spent more time polishing her image than she did blinking. There was a certain air of stupidity around the girl and the closest she ever got to maths was counting her calories. Serena had absolutely no idea how Darien ended up dating her since he was extremely intelligent with a family history of Princeton graduates. Perhaps Darien saw something wonderful in Beryl that others couldn't. Serena snorted. Yeah right.  
  
Leaning back against the peeling leather seat of her not-so-hot ride, Serena thanked whichever angel had sent her her saviours. As crummy as school was, she had friends who gave her unwavering support. Raye, the fiery Japanese priestess, possessed that Asian beauty which drew much male attention. Despite her and Serena's constant bickering, it was evident that they were immensely fond of each other; in fact, Serena would probably consider Raye as her best friend. Amy was a freakishly intelligent human being who was by no means your average unapproachable nerd. She was easily the friendliest person Serena had ever met, and eventually assumed the role of being the group's voice of reason and rationality. Lita was a gorgeous brunette who's continually excelling cooking skills would probably land her a large fortune one day. However, do not mistake her for a stereotypically submissive and domestic girl, for she was as trained in martial arts as she was in cooking. Finally Mina was the ditz of the group whose bubbly nature never gave anyone reason to stop smiling. Many used to mistake her for Serena when they were younger due to their similar blonde hair and blue eyes, so they both decided to adopt a unique hairstyle to settle the confusion. Mina had her large red bow while Serena had her buns which earned her the name of Meatball Head from Raye. Compared to her friends, Serena saw herself as more average than your average plain-Jane.  
  
But apart from the hustle bustle at school, home was another world entirely. Her recently deceased widowed father had re-married not long before his sudden death. The woman, Galaxia, was a long time waitress at the diner he owned and had two daughters, Prisma and Birdie, who were both the same age as Serena. Soon after the funeral, the will was announced and had appointed Galaxia as the heir of the diner while the fortune left for Serena would be under Galaxia's possession until she turned 18. Is this beginning to sound like one of those Cinderella stories? Unfortunately it is. Galaxia and her two daughters brought a whole new meaning to wicked step-mother and step-sisters. While Galaxia flaunted her new wealth on material items and frivolous activities, Serena slaved away at the diner keeping in order everything her father had built.  
  
Serena hated the way she lived her life, it seemed like nothing was going her way. Little did she know that luck was going to jump at her right around the corner – that is, thanks to her cool and hip fairy godmother, a bit of night magic, and a little carelessness on her behalf.

* * *

_R R if you want more!!!_


	2. Chapter 1: The Invitation

Hey everyone, I managed to update earlier than I expected. Guess this story really strikes my fancy at the moment or perhaps I'm just reallu eager for A Cinderella Story to be released. It doesn't come out in Australia till Sept...sighz

_**twiggirl06:** Thanks for reviewing. Unfortunately, as much as I would like to throw in the whole Sailor Moon thing, it doesn't really work with my story that well. However, I will try and make intertextual references to it or something of the sort. And the last chapter was only short because it was the prologue. This chapter was about 10 pages on a word document so enjoy!_

* * *

**::Chapter 1::**

_One day, Cinderella got an invitation to the ball..._  
  
Serena sat in one corner of the diner and watched in disgust as Galaxia touched up her blood red lipstick. The sudden addition to her bank account certainly hadn't brought the woman any style. In fact, badly matched designer outfits were more displeasing to the eye than just a cheap, badly matched wardrobe. Serena shuddered as she saw the massive pair of 36 double D's spill out of the top of Galaxia's undersized hot pink boob tube.  
  
"I'm going to be out for the night," announced Galaxia "I expect you prepare dinner for Prisma and Birdie and then clean the house before returning here until closing. Is that understood?"  
  
Serena was not in the mood to complain and simply gave a dismissive nod before walking off to serve some waiting customers. She left a preening, Galaxia who then zipped up her handbag and distastefully strutted out of the diner. Unfortunately, as one nightmare exited, another entered. Not that Darien was a nightmare, far from it, but it was the crew he had with him which had Serena muttering in annoyance. Glancing at a nearby clock, she realised it was 4:30, the exact time which Darien came in for a drink and a snack each day. It was yet another opportunity for Serena to marvel at what she couldn't have. Sometimes it would just be Darien and his close buddies, but at other times he would bring Beryl and her equally dull friends. To Serena's disdain, today was the latter. Miffed and disappointed by his company, Serena unwillingly hauled herself towards their table and displayed the most pleasant countenance she could muster.  
  
"What would you like today?" Serena held her notepad and pen in hand ready to take the order.  
  
Beryl frowned as she scanned the menu. "I'm on a diet, do you have anything here that has no sugar, no carbs and is low in fat?"  
  
Serena could not believe what she just heard. Giving a smug laugh she sarcastically replied, "Try tofu? Oh sorry we're all out, guess you'll have to try the supermarket."  
  
An enraged Beryl glared at Serena disbelievingly. Darien must have found the situation quite amusing, for he gave a hearty little laugh which melted Serena's heart but he caught himself when he noticed Beryl sending him death glares.  
  
Adorning a false and sickly sweet smile, Beryl faced Serena and said, "I'll have a cup of water please."  
  
Serena scribbled it onto her notepad and proceeded to take orders from everyone else, but not before sketching a quick caricature of Beryl as a devil next to her order. Serena managed to take the other orders without much of a fuss, and as she walked away she thought she saw a slight wink from Darien. Serena told herself that she was hallucinating but was then once again taken by surprise when he smiled at her. This was probably the highlight of her day and it made her feel giddy, almost causing her to trip over a chair.

* * *

It had been an awfully long day and Serena didn't know how much more of this she could take. As much as she would like to walk right up to Galaxia and punch her in the face, then leaving the household forever, Galaxia had control over all of Serena's money at the moment and consequently held her ticket to paying for Princeton fees. In addition, Serena still needed to take care of her dad's diner which Galaxia was clearly neglecting.  
  
"SERENA WHERE DID YOU PUT MY CAMERA?????" yelled Birdie's loud voice.  
  
"It's on your desk!!!" Serena screamed back. Those two idiot step-sisters never cleaned anything and Serena could probably locate their items better than they could. She reminded herself never to help tidy any of their things again since it was obviously unappreciated. Somehow though, Serena knew she would still cop the blame even if Birdie had misplaced things herself.  
  
Fortunately, it wasn't long before Serena was put out of her misery as the phone started ringing.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey meatball head, it's me. So how was your afternoon?"  
  
"Same as always I suppose."  
  
Raye sighed with pity. "If I were you I'd give that woman those two pathetic excuses for 17-year-olds a piece of my mind."  
  
"Raye, I have one word for you – Princeton."  
  
"Yeah I know I know. You must have repeated that like a million times. But it still doesn't stop me from fantasizing about it."  
  
Serena smile. "Nor I."  
  
"So anyway, how is the situation with this cyber Prince Charming of yours?"  
  
"It's not like there's anything going on, I'm still dreaming about Darien Shields, remember? Anyway, we've just been chatting for about a month and I think we've developed a really nice friendship. Although, it still kind of freaks me out that we know so much about each other without knowing who each other are."  
  
"Since you know he goes to our school, why don't you just ask him who he is?"  
  
"That defeats the whole purpose of it. We both agreed not to reveal our identities so that we can build our friendship from scratch. I mean we were bound to have heard rumours about each other or have developed misconceptions. You know what I mean. Basically we didn't want our judgment to be clouded by what we've heard."  
  
"That is the strangest thing I have ever heard. You guys sms each other during the day and chat for hours during the night yet you don't even know each other. Normally the first thing I'd do would be finding out who he is. Well as long as you're happy with it."  
  
"Yeah, I'll see how it goes. Anyway, I think I should go 'cause he's going to come online soon. I'll talk to you at school tomorrow."  
  
"Being ditched for a guy. I'm hurt Sere," joked Raye.  
  
Serena laughed. "Bye Raye."  
  
"Goodnight."  
  
Placing the phone back where it belonged, Serena went to turn on her computer. It was strange how she could talk to a complete stranger for hours. It was nonetheless the portion of her day which she enjoyed considerably more than her afternoons.  
  
As expected, her 'cyber Prince Charming', as Raye called him, was already online waiting for her. Serena smiled and replied to the greeting which just arrived in her chat box. Time always seemed to fly by when she was talking to him, and that was how she spent her next few hours.  
  
_Tuxboi: It's so hard to be what every1 expects u to b. I mean, u wanna plz em but its not always what u want for urself.  
  
Pinkbunny: Yeah I kno what u mean, but what can u do 'bout it. Still, its our last year of school so better make the most of it. Besides, I'm hoping to c u in Princeton   
  
Tuxboi: That's if I make it. With my entire family expecting so much from me, it's a miracle I dun crack from the pressure.  
  
Pinkbunny: Maybe comfort yourself with the thought that there are always ppl worse off than u who would b dying to have ur life. If u think about it, ur pretty privileged to have what u have. I kno its easier sed than done but u wont make ur life any easier by hating everything.  
  
Tuxboi: Lol, its strange being lectured by u, knowing that I prolly bump into u in the corridors each day.  
  
Pinkbunny: Haha, well if you put it that way. Anyway, it's 2am already, we've been at it for 5hrs. Think I'll turn in for the night.  
  
Tuxboi: Yeah but before u go...I kno its breaking the rules and all but...well could I meet u at the homecoming dance next week?  
  
Pinkbunny: I don't kno if I can make it...  
  
Tuxboi: Try ur best, coz I really wanna kno who u r  
  
Pinkbunny: K, I'll c what I can do  
  
Tuxboi: I'll b waiting for you at the centre of the dance floor at 11pm  
  
Pinkbunny: K, g'nite then.  
  
Tuxboi: Nite  
_  
Switching off her computer, Serena started to question whether or not it was a good idea to agree. Well, she shall cross that bridge when it comes since she didn't even know if Galaxia would allow her to go. Her good mood was ruined by that last thought. There wasn't anything she could do about it anyway so she decided to go to sleep and ask about it in the next day.

* * *

Darien switched off his computer but remained on his chair in deep procrastination. A month was not a very long time, yet a month was all it took for him to practically spill his entire life story to this mysterious girl he met online. She knew him inside out and it made vulnerable, yet he felt like he could trust her. She always seemed to give him appropriate advice and he had started to depend on her, probably slightly more than he should.  
  
Talking to this girl seems to have become Darien's form of escape into a world where no-one was judging him. At school, all the girls would croon over him and the teachers would expect him to excel in sport and academics. At home, there was an even greater expectancy for him to succeed due the pressure of their family's Princeton history. He felt like people refused to see him as anything less than perfect and it became tiring for him to keep up with it all the time. But this girl, despite knowing him for a month, she understood what he was going through and perhaps even understood him more than he did.  
  
Darien wished so desperately that she would be able to go to the dance; he wanted to meet her so badly. Strangely enough he might see his online princess at the homecoming which was coincidentally themed 'Fairytale'. Perhaps he may have his own fairytale after all this.

* * *

"SERENA!" a loud annoying voice boomed.  
  
Disturbed from her deep slumber, Serena unwillingly forced herself out of bed to face the source of the yelling. Peering downstairs she found a very angry Galaxia and two very frightened girls beside her. Serena stifled a giggle. As horrible as they were, even Prisma and Birdie feared the almighty Galaxia.  
  
"SERENA, WHERE THE HELL IS OUR BREAKFAST? YOU BETTER NOT BE TRYING TO WEASEL YOUR WAY OUT OF DOING YOUR CHORES."  
  
Glancing back at the hanging clock in her room, she realised that it was already 8 o'clock. Great, she must have slept in due to her late night. 6 hours of sleep was not enough for a teenage girl. Now she just earned herself a whole morning of screaming.  
  
As much as Serena hated obeying that woman, she was smart and knew that if she didn't act quickly, Princeton would be going down the drain. She was in and out of the bathroom in 3 minutes flat and raced downstairs to start sizzling the bacon and eggs. Despite being still terribly annoyed, Galaxia was satisfied with the speed at which breakfast came. Serena silently thanked the cook who occasionally let her play around in the kitchen at the diner. She knew her bacon and eggs skills would come in handy.  
  
Serena was finally afforded a moment's peace when Galaxia and her two daughters left the house. However, she didn't have long to rejoice in having an empty household when she realised that she had only 15 minutes to get ready and get to school.  
  
As expected, Serena arrived late at school due to this morning's dramas. She rushed into her English class only to find her teacher giving her a disapproving look as she entered the room.  
  
"You are 20 minutes late Miss Tsukino," she scolded, "and you too Mr. Shields."  
  
Serena turned around to find a huffing Darien behind her. Guess he must have ran to school as well.  
  
The teacher sighed, "You're both lucky I'm in a good mood today or you'll be serving detention for the rest of the week. You may take your seats now."  
  
Steering their way towards the only two empty seats left, Serena realised they were conveniently right next to each other. She chose the one behind Mina.  
  
As they sat down and started unpacking, Darien turned to her and questioned, "Late night?"  
  
Serena nodded dumbly.  
  
"Yeah, me too."  
  
"I can tell. The bags under your eyes give it away." Serena was so tired that she forgot to blush and be embarrassed around him.  
  
Darien laughed. "Speak for yourself."  
  
Suddenly, a voice from the front intruded into their conversation, "If you two don't be quiet, I might have to change my mind about that detention."  
  
Serena and Darien quickly did as they were told and not another word was spoken. Scribbling some notes down, Serena noticed a small piece of paper being subtly slid onto her desk. Initially confused, she realised it was from Mina.  
  
_Late night, eh. Bet you were talking to that cyber Prince Charming of yours; he probably kept you up all night long. giggles_  
  
Serena gave a hard kick to the chair in front of her to show that the comment was unappreciated. Mina only replied with a girlish giggle which could only mean 'we will talk about this after class'. Fortunately, Serena was able to sneak out at the end of that period without Mina's notice but she knew that there was no escape once the lunch bell sounded.

* * *

Being extremely trained from working at the diner, Serena balanced her lunch tray in one hand with ease while clutching her maths book with the other. Not surprisingly, the rest of her friends were already gathered at their usual lunch table, and ready to interrogate her, she suspected. With the eager looks on their faces, Serena guessed that Mina had already told the gang about Serena's late arrival as well adding a few exaggerated details of her own.  
  
"So tell us Sere, what happened last night? This is so insanely romantic." Mina practically had hearts in her eyes and proudly displayed the expression of a hopeless romantic.  
  
"Well meatball head here ditched me on the phone last night so that she could have her nightly rendezvous with cyber Prince Charming." Three guesses as to who made that comment.  
  
Amy looked somewhat trouble and felt it necessary to contribute her two cents, "I hate to burst your bubble Sere, but there's just been a horrifically large amount of cases about young girls meeting stalkers online. I really think you should be careful."  
  
"Relax Amy. This guy goes to our school, I'm sure of it. In fact, he wants to meet me at our homecoming dance next week."  
  
Mina sighed wistfully. "This really is a fairytale, how appropriate for the theme."  
  
"You know, this could be your chance to get over Darien Shields since you and I both know Beryl ain't willing to remove her claws from him. He's fuelling her status like crazy. Anyway, with any luck, he could turn out to look like my old boyfriend." Lita seemed to have an uncanny ability to spot look-alikes to her old boyfriends everywhere.  
  
"What if I'm a complete disappointment though? I mean what if he meets me and I'm not what he expects."  
  
"You've never been insecure before so I don't see why now. Besides lack of self-confidence is unattractive. In fact it makes you ugly." Mina was trying to reason with Serena.  
  
"Oh she will be ugly no matter what," joked Raye.  
  
"But never as ugly as you are," Serena countered then continued, "Anyway, as exciting as this all sounds, I don't even know if I'm allowed to go. Galaxia likes to make my life miserable, remember?"  
  
Raye was fuming on Serena's behalf at this point. "Well that bitch can go spray her poison elsewhere because there is no way the wicked step-mother will stop this Cinderella from going to her ball."  
  
Serena was about to argue when the group of girls were interrupted by a most pleasant sound to Serena's ears. Her cell phone started to sound the reception of a new sms. There was no mystery as to who the message was from.  
  
_Hey, hope you didn't sleep in this morning. How has your day been so far?_  
  
With four nosy females peering over her shoulders, Serena quickly tapped in a reply.  
  
_I was so late for school this morning and almost scored myself a detention this morning. I didn't exactly get off to a great start at home either. Hopefully the day can only get better._  
  
Locating the number from her phonebook, Serena sent off the message.  
  
Amy was once again concerned when a thought struck her, "Serena you don't even know the guy's name; he's nameless in your phonebook at the moment."  
  
Serena smiled sheepishly. "Hopefully that problem will be resolved next week."  
  
"So meatball brains has finally decided she wants to go to the dance."  
  
"You know I want to go Raye, it's just that I might not be allowed."  
  
Lita and Mina had a similar spark of intelligence and simultaneously added, "If you want something bad enough, you will find a way around it."  
  
"I suppose so..."

* * *

"Dare, who is this mystery girl of yours?" Andrew was extremely curious.  
  
"I don't know, but hopefully I'll get to meet her next week. I invited her to the homecoming dance."  
  
"She goes to this school, idiot. She doesn't need to be invited."  
  
"Shut up, you know what I mean."  
  
"Yeah. So, what if she's not all that she's cracked up to be? Chances are, she'll probably look like one of those crazy witches with ugly green warts on their noses."  
  
"Drew, be serious, do you see anyone in this school like that?"  
  
Andrew laughed openly, "No I suppose not."  
  
"I feel like this girl knows me better than anyone else does, even myself. Call me crazy, but it's like I'm depending on her for my life to run smoothly. It just feels so good to be able to tell someone my problems."  
  
"Hey Dare I'm hurt. I've been your best friend since kindergarten." Andrew feigned offence.  
  
"Girls are better listener and problem solvers. I bet if I spouted all my problems to you, you'd be snoring within a minute," Darien stated as a- matter-of-factly.  
  
"True. But if this girl is so great, why don't you just trade her in with Beryl. Then your life would just be one big happy fairytale."  
  
"Come on Drew, you and I both know that Beryl wants to be Prom Queen and going out with me has just increased her chances by 100%. She isn't going to let her crown slide away that easily. Maybe I will have more of a chance of getting rid of her after the homecoming."  
  
"Just talking about that girl makes me shudder. I only put up with her because of my many years of friendship with you."  
  
"Yeah I know. Thanks buddy."  
  
"Stop getting all mushy on me. Hm...here comes your Prom Queen now."  
  
Sure enough, Beryl was walking towards them with her swaying buttocks, attracting a trail of ogling males.  
  
"Hey Dare, hey Drew," she purred saucily.  
  
Leaning down to reveal a generous view of her cleavage to all who cared to look, she gave Darien a big kiss on the mouth. That initiated a spark of thought in Darien. Kissing Beryl has all of a sudden become quite unappealing, especially over these last few days. Perhaps it was the knowledge that there were in fact greener pastures, for example, in the form of a mysterious online princess.  
  
Sensing the indifference as she kissed him, Beryl plastered a look of concern on her face, "What's wrong sweetie? Are you feeling unwell?"  
  
"I'm fine, probably just tired from the lack of sleep." Darien smacked himself mentally for not noticing her fakeness before.  
  
Little did he know that this time Beryl was quite genuine. She was concerned alright, concerned about how long before that little crown of hers would be knocked off her head and onto another Prom Queen.

* * *

"Absolutely not!"  
  
"But I always do the chores you ask, I'm a straight A student and I have never asked you for anything. Please just let me go to this homecoming dance. Prisma and Birdie are going."  
  
"Don't use your step-sisters to argue. I'm going out that night and I won't be home until midnight. Who else is going to watch over the diner?" Serena silently cursed. It's not like Galaxia cared about the diner anyway; she just wanted to make sure Serena was miserable.  
  
"Serena, dear. I know I may seem a little harsh but I do care. I'm going to be honest with you because it's for your own good. You're just not that pretty and not very bright. There's no point going to that dance since you won't attract any boys anyway. Why don't you just be and good girl, stay at the diner and make yourself useful."  
  
Well that was a bit of a blow. That comment outshone every other nasty comment Galaxia has ever made to Serena. Not pretty, not bright and not loved. All the reasons why Serena should not be attending that dance. She didn't even know why she bothered asking since she knew the outcome anyway. At least she would have saved herself the embarrassment.  
  
Serena went upstairs to her room and carefully closed the door. Collapsing onto her bed, she released all the pain and sadness she withheld. A single tear trickled down her face.

* * *

_ Thats all from me now, hope you liked it. Tell me what you think and notify me if any mistakes are found._


	3. Chapter 2: The Ball

Wow! I'm glad that people are liking the story so far. The POV keeps changing in this chapter so hopefully people won't get confused. Phew! Another 10 pages of a word document gone by.

_Disclaimer: I used several quotes for this chapter which I had stolen from watching trailers of 'A Cinderella Story'. Feel free to ask if you want to know which ones they are._

* * *

**::Chapter 2::  
**  
_But alas, Cinderella made it to the ball..._  
  
Days had passed since Galaxia had delivered those harsh words to Serena. The dance was fast approaching and her misery was thriving with much thanks to a particular horrid step-mother. The only thing Serena could be thankful for was that Galaxia was too preoccupied with preparing Prisma and Birdie for the homecoming that she had no spare time to pester Serena.  
  
"So have you asked her about it yet?" questioned a curious Lita.  
  
"The earlier you ask, the more likely you'd be allowed. At least that's how it works with my parents." Amy was always one to do things by the rules.  
  
"Um...no not yet. Galaxia hasn't been in the best of moods lately so I'm trying to save it for when she's feeling remotely pleasant."  
  
Raye snorted. "Well good luck waiting for a hundred years."  
  
Serena could only weakly laugh at the witty comment. It was somewhat depressing to see her friends so diligently preparing for the homecoming when all the while she knew that she would not be attending it with them. Yet she had not the heart to ruin their fun by announcing that she was not allowed to go. 'I will tell them tomorrow' she always said to herself. But tomorrow never came. Serena mentally chided herself for the lack of courage; telling her friends was a mere stroll in the park compared the larger hurdle of disappointing her mystery guy.  
  
The wallowing in self-pity session was cut short when the bell sounded for the beginning of next period.  
  
"Better get going guys, Ms. T still gives me the shits about being late last week so I don't want be tardy again, especially since it's the middle of the day."  
  
"Hey Sere, wait for me!" Mina called after Serena when she eventually realised was in the same English class.  
  
"Hurry up; we're going to be late."  
  
However, it seemed the panic was all wasted as the teacher had not yet arrived when they reached the classroom. Serena shrugged it off as a delay by morning tea, but was thwarted and overcome with absolute horror when Ms. T finally entered with another figure in tow. A smiling Beryl looked terribly proud of herself, and Serena was sure she was up to no good.  
  
"Class, please settle down. I apologise for being late but I had to attend to some final procedures in order to cater for the new addition to our class. I'm sure you all know Beryl since she really isn't a new student, but she decided to join us due to her particular interest in the texts we are going to study next. Beryl, please take a seat."  
  
Beryl didn't need to be told twice. As soon as the introductory speech was over, she found an empty seat and scooted right next to none other than Darien Shields. There was no mistake as to the real reason Beryl changed classes. She, being a less than conscientious student, was not likely to be that passionate about what text she was studying.  
  
"Psst!" Mina whispered to Serena, "Rumour has it that Beryl is quite insecure about how the Prom Queen votes are swinging. Seems to me like she trying to bury her claws as deep as she can into her insurance."  
  
"Insurance?"  
  
"Darien. Like duh!"  
  
"Oh!" Serena silently mouthed with understanding.  
  
She curiously snuck a look Darien's way, and sure enough he didn't appear too pleased with the arrangements. In fact, if her eyes weren't playing tricks on her, he seemed to be trying to squirm out of Beryl's grasp. Serena felt sorry for anyone who had to put up with Beryl, especially Darien. Darien. Oh what a powerful word that was; one mention and Serena was cherry red. Although her mystery guy understood her like he had been there her whole life, Darien was the one who ultimately stole her heart. If only Darien would look at her in the same way she looked at him, if only Darien understood her as well her mystery guy, then her world would be at peace. But seeing the way Beryl was draping herself over him, she didn't suppose her fantasies were going to be answered any time soon.

* * *

Beep! It was an sms.  
  
I hope I will be seeing you on the dance floor tomorrow night.  
  
Serena wondered how she would answer that.  
  
Love to go, but can't.  
  
That sounded like she was trying to come up with a lame excuse to cover up not wanting to go. It wasn't what she wanted to sound like. Scratch that.  
  
I'm afraid I can't make it due to unforeseen circumstances. Love to meet you another time though. Arrange something else?  
  
A little formal but it will have to do. She didn't have much time to ponder and perfect, as she was expecting an unpleasant call from Galaxia at any time now.  
  
"SERENA!"  
  
Yes, there it was.  
  
"Come down here, I need to discuss something with you."  
  
Discuss? Demand was more like it. Galaxia wasn't one to 'discuss' things, especially not with Serena. Discuss generally has the implications that one may not end up getting what they want. Would Galaxia be willing to take that risk?  
  
"Ok, your sisters will be attending the homecoming dance tomorrow night so you have a day off from making dinner. But I still expect you not to slack off. I shall be off on some business until midnight and since it will be the diner's weekly late night, you are going to stay there until then, is that clear?"  
  
"Crystal."  
  
"Good. Now come over here and help your sisters with their outfits; they seem to be having a bit of trouble."  
  
"Mum, I can't fit into this damn thing. I thought I told you to get one size bigger," whined a pained Prisma.  
  
Birdie gloated back, "I told you to cut down on the chocolate last month; now you're fat."  
  
"Like you can talk, you aren't fitting into your dress any better."  
  
"Girls, stop it! Serena, don't just stand there, go help them."  
  
Serena approached Prisma from behind and gave the material a yank. Prisma was right. This dress was way too small. Serena didn't know what to do; if she voiced her opinion about it she'd be sure to get a beating, yet if she kept yanking she'd eventually rip the fine material.  
  
"Oh give me that you damn weakling. Just scuttle off back into your room."  
  
Serena had never been gladder to hear Galaxia's voice. She hurried away before Galaxia could change her mind.

* * *

The diner was having a great day today and Serena was thankful, as it took her mind off things, namely the homecoming dance that practically everyone would be attending tonight. At least she could work away a bit of misery tonight and hopefully get over it by morning.  
  
"I don't suppose Galaxia gave you permission to go tonight did she?" asked Luna empathetically.  
  
Serena shook her head. As sad as she felt, she was to have Luna working with her at the Diner. Luna had been a waitress there for years and also despised Galaxia to the bone. With the absence of a maternal figure and Galaxia not being a very good replacement, Luna had somehow slid into that role.  
  
Serena watched sadly as she saw some girls from her school show off their new gowns to each other. Her only solace was finally seeing the door swing open at 4:30 to reveal a sweaty Darien. Tuesday. Football practice. She beamed with satisfaction when she realised that Darien had only brought Andrew and Greg with him today. Absolutely no Beryl to deal with, which was a good thing, considering Serena was not in the mood to put up with her antics. Judging by the dark look on Darien's face though, it seemed like he wasn't in much of a cheery mood.  
  
"Hey Serena," Andrew called.  
  
"Hey," Serena replied as she walked up to their table.  
  
"So, you'll be at the dance tonight right?" Greg inquired.  
  
"Yeah, sure. I'll be seeing you there," Serena lied. She really didn't want to be giving them a big sob story about her horrible life. "So what do you guys want today?"  
  
Darien didn't give much of a reaction so Andrew replied on his behalf. "Just 3 chocolate shakes thanks."  
  
Serena really wanted to ask Darien what was wrong, but who was she to pry anyway. It wasn't her place to be concerned with his well-being. She quietly retreated back into the kitchen to deliver the order form.  
  
When Serena had disappeared, Andrew started his counseling.  
  
"Dare man, don't get so hooked up about some girl you've never met. I'm sure she has her reasons for not coming."  
  
"Yeah, but I was really looking forward to meeting her."  
  
"I'm sure you were, but it's not like you won't get another chance."  
  
"Guess so." Somehow, Darien's mood hadn't improved.

* * *

It was 7 o'clock when her phone rang.  
  
"Hey meatball head, the limo's coming by your place in half an hour so you better be ready by then."  
  
"Um, Raye, I know I should have told you guys sooner but I didn't want to ruin your mood. I'm not going."  
  
"WHAT???!!! What do you mean you're not going?"  
  
"I mean that Galaxia is a bitch and she wouldn't let me go"  
  
"But it's our homecoming dance, you can't not go." "Fun can wait, Princeton can't."  
  
"But..."  
  
"Look you guys have fun, I'll be ok. It's no big deal."  
  
"Alright then...but we'll be thinking of you. We'll give you a call when we get back."  
  
"Ok, bye."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Serena lied. She wasn't fine. She was far from fine. Dropping down to a crouch, she allowed her tears to spill like a fountain.  
  
"You should be there Serena." It came from Luna.  
  
"I...I..."  
  
"You're not going to let Galaxia bully you around like that forever are you?"  
  
"No not forever, but for now, yes."  
  
Filled with sympathy, Luna held out her outstretched hands to offer Serena some comfort. Serena accepted with gratitude and temporarily unloaded her burden as she remained in the embrace so full of maternal warmth. Her troubles were not going to go away, but for a while, she'd like to pretend that all would be well.

* * *

'Luna would make a great mother someday,' thought Serena as she watched the woman wipe away the mess left on one of the tables. After spending a great portion of the night weeping in Luna's arms, Serena was finally feeling a bit better. It seemed like the hour was creeping by ever so slowly, and she made the mistake of checking the clock. It was 10 o' clock; her friends were probably having the time of their lives at the homecoming dance right now. And what was she doing? Feeling sorry for herself because she has a wicked step-mother.  
  
Being so engrossed in her thoughts, Serena was given a terrible fright when the diner's doors suddenly swung open to reveal four very formally dressed teenagers. Raye, Amy, Lita and Mina – they were four girls with a mission and they looked determined to succeed.  
  
Luna smiled. She knew Raye wouldn't let it slide so easily, and sure enough Raye and the girls hadn't let her down. There was a great gleam in Luna's eyes when she saw the many packages the girls had with them.  
  
The customers were quite shocked however, to see a bunch of girls, in their lovely evening wear, who came in to disrupt their meals with a big bang.  
  
"What are you guys doing here? Shouldn't you be at the dance?" Serena was too confused to worry about much else.  
  
"We couldn't just go without you. Besides, you still have to meet your Prince Charming so we decided to take action. You are going to the dance and that's final."  
  
"You're being unreasonable and I can't believe they talked you into this, Amy. You're usually the sensible one."  
  
"Sometimes even a good girl has to break some rules," replied Amy mischievously.  
  
"I'm supposed to be here until Galaxia comes back, what if she returns and finds me missing?"  
  
But of course Luna had it all planned. "Don't worry, just make sure you keep your phone on and I'll give you a holler when she's back. I'll tell her we're out of milk and you just went out to get more; it'll buy you enough time to get changed and rush back."  
  
"As tempting as that sounds, I still don't have anything to wear. I already knew I wasn't allowed to go last week so I didn't bother getting a dress."  
  
Raye just snickered, "Oh give me more credit than that, of course I remembered that little detail. Just be thankful that the shops are opened late tonight. We couldn't find anything magnificent so this dress was the best we could do."  
  
Serena turned her attention to the gown Raye held out. Running her hands across the white fabric, she was met with a silky feeling. It was as smooth as satin but not as heavy.  
  
"This dress is better than any that could have picked out myself." Serena was now given a new sense of hope and excitement hung in the air.  
  
Lita had just remembered something. "We also took the liberty of getting you a mask so that your step-sisters don't recognise you"  
  
Serena was absolutely amazed at how prepared her friends were. Obviously they had the intention of making her go and wasn't taking no for an answer.  
  
With another happy glint in her eyes, Luna handed Serena a small box. "Take this now and don't ask any questions. I will explain when you get back."  
  
Without putting up a fuss, Serena took off the lid and was no sooner blinded by a sparkling tiara. It must have cost a fortune. She was about to make a comment when she remembered that Luna was going to explain when she got back.  
  
Luna gave her a friendly slap on the buttocks, "Well what are you stalling for, hurry up and go get changed."  
  
Serena bit her lower lip nervously but then broke into a smile. Nodding in agreement, she took the dress with her and four very impatient friends followed behind. But before she made any movement to change into the gown, she took out her phone.  
  
Guess you will be seeing me tonight after all.  
  
The message was sent with the dorkiest grin on Serena's face.

* * *

The song ended and Darien slid out of Beryl's arms as quickly as he could. With the excuse that he needed to go find Andrew, he managed to escape without arousing too much suspicion. However, just in case she was still monitoring his actions, Darien decided to seek out Andrew anyway.  
  
"Hey buddy, you look like a nervous wreck."  
  
"Yeah. When I got that message I was absolutely ecstatic but now I think the nerves are finally settling in."  
  
"Well you have about 5 minutes to get over it and haul ass to the center of the dance floor."  
  
"Um...Drew?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I don't want to sound like a wuss...but...can you come with me?"  
  
"Hahaha! Of course I will, but believe me I will never let you hear the end of it."  
  
"I'm looking forward to it," Darien countered sarcastically.

* * *

"Ok Sere, we've done our part. You're on your own now," Mina gave her a reassuring nod.  
  
Before Serena could argue, the girls had dashed off into the ballroom, leaving Serena standing with no-one to support her and no-one to tell her everything would be alright. Mina was right; Serena was on her own now. For the first time in her life, she felt like she needed to face something flying solo. It was a do or die situation for Serena and she felt that she owed it to the girls to at least give it a try.  
  
Nervously clutching her purse, Serena took a few steps forward and found herself being thrown into the land of fairytales.

* * *

"Stop glancing at the door, Dare. Beryl's going to know something is up."  
  
"Let her. I don't care anymore."  
  
"If you say so, but..."  
  
Andrew never finished his sentence, as he realised his best friend was no longer listening. Instead, his eyes were fixed on the grand staircase entrance but more importantly on the new arrival. All eyes in the room were drawn to the lady dressed in white. The tight bodice hugged every inch of her chest and abdomen while the rest of the soft material fell down her legs and trailed elegantly behind her. Her identity was hidden by a matching mask which disclosed half her face. The blonde beauty had fixed her natural tresses into mild ringlets which could only be described as luscious locks. A marvelous tiara sat at the crown of her head and the jewels on it reflected away every attacking ray of light.  
  
"Drew, I've never met her before but I am sure that's her."  
  
Darien was suddenly pulled out of his dream when he heard Beryl's voice dripping with envy.  
  
"Who's the bitch anyway? Well, love her dress, but hate her."  
  
Ignoring the snide comment she made, Darien re-affixed his attention to where it belonged. Suddenly, as she approached him, all his best pick-up lines just flew out of his head.  
  
The angel who now stood in front of him appeared confused and tilted her head in questioning.

* * *

Serena was sure he had said the centre of the dance floor. Yet instead of the mystery guy she was expecting, not that she knew what he was, there stood Darien Shields in the most exquisite form of fairytale princely outfits. She cocked her head in confusion. He extended his arm in invitation.  
  
"I have been waiting for you," he said to her.  
  
His eyes held the warmest beckoning and it gave Serena a fuzzy feeling. She suddenly understood why he had looked so disappointed and indifferent this afternoon. Darien Shields was the one who understood her like no other and Darien Shields was the one who was now gazing at her the same way she looked at him every day of her life. This was exactly the fairytale she had been dreaming of and she no longer cared that jealous girls all around her were spitting out nasty remarks. Answering his call to her, she extended her own arm to meet his. With a quick sneaky yank, Darien had Serena in his arms.  
  
"I'm stealing you away," he whispered ever so gently. It was a command.  
  
Leaving a room full of confused people, Serena was felt like she was running away with a lover. Darien held onto her hand firmly and she let out a trail of silvery giggles as he led her into the spacious balcony. When the main party had a sufficient share of gossip, the music had finally resumed.  
  
"May I have this dance, Princess?" asked the gentleman.  
  
"You may." Serena was feeling deliriously happy and there was nothing that could ruin her mood. She was swaying to the music in the embrace of the only person she's wanted since the 8th grade. With her true identity being hidden by the mask, she let herself go without a single reserve. Serena contently rested her head on Darien's chest.  
  
Darien sensed a familiarity in the girl but couldn't quite put his finger on it. There were simply too many girls at school to recall them all by voice and nature. Perhaps he could ask her to remove her mask at the end of the night. Although he was dying to know who was underneath there, he was also infinitely intrigued by the mysteriousness of it all. He felt like he was falling in love with her but he was only 18. Was he too young to love?  
  
"Do you believe in love at first sight?" he questioned.  
  
She thought for a second. "I'll let you know," she said thoughtfully.  
  
Darien had to be content with the answer for now. He moved onto another topic.  
  
"So, do you realise that after this night, we are still going to be passing each other in the corridors each day?"  
  
"Yes. Wouldn't it be strange? We'd be bumping each other all over the place."  
  
Darien shook his head. "No, hopefully we won't have to bump into each other if we were walking side by side, preferably with you in my arms." Oh my god, that was probably the cheesiest line he had ever used on a girl.  
  
However, Serena found a focus elsewhere, as she felt herself blushing and melting at the same time. She replied by nervously licking her lips.  
  
That last stunt Serena pulled unconsciously, had Darien's eyes drawn to her lips and like a magnet, he felt himself being pulled towards her. Leaning down, Darien brushed his lips past Serena's teasingly. Serena closed her eyes, ready to be swept into 7th heaven when suddenly her moment was shattered by the polyphonic imitation of the Sailor Moon theme. Hesitantly pulling away from Darien, she answered the call.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
Darien watched as Serena's smile was immediately replaced by a frown. She flipped the phone close and gave him an apologetic look. She said nothing before turning around and started hurrying away.  
  
"Wait where are you going?"  
  
"I'm late."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"Reality."  
  
Darien had absolutely no idea what she meant, but before he had time to react, she had dashed of and fled the scene, but not before clumsily bumping into a guy dressed as Chip from Beauty and the Beast. Deciding that he didn't want to lose her, he started to follow but was once again interrupted in his ventures by the Sailor Moon theme song. Glancing towards the ground, he saw the phone that his angel had been using not so long ago. She must have dropped it when she bumped into that guy.  
  
Picking up the phone, he diverted his gaze back to the dance floor where he scanned the entire room. She was nowhere to be seen. For someone that was weighted with an evening gown and stilettos, she sure made a fast dash. He clutched onto the phone like it was his lifeline, which was what it was in a way. It was his only clue to the true identity of his mysterious fairytale princess.

* * *

_Ok, I have a question for everyone. Basically Beryl is going to win her bloody Prom Queen thing so should I make her not care about Darien anymore or should she still be clinging onto Darien? Plz review everyone!!!_


	4. AN: Please read!

Thank you to EVERYONE who has been supportive so far. I know you're expecting another chapter but unfortunately it won't be out for a while. I'm tackling the HSC at the moment or for all you un-sydneysiders it's the university entrance exam. I'm afraid you'll all have to wait until at least 4th November to hear from me coz that's when my last exam is.

However, I will take some time out to answer a few queries and also provide a small preview of what's to come.

**_Lady of Enchantment:_** I know it's extremely close to the movie so far but I needed to establish the base of the story before I get to the exciting part – where Darien tries to find his princess. Although I said I wanted to finish the story before I saw the movie in case I'm too tempted to use their plot it looks like that won't happen due to the delay. HOWEVER, I'm happy to say that I've already figured out most of my plot and it won't be much like the story so expect a few twists, just like you asked.

**_Isabella:_** I'm sorry that you find it too unoriginal but please refer to the previous message as I think that answer also applies to your query.

**_Gezi:_** I'm sorry if you think the story is too cheesy for your liking but that's the way I write so if it doesn't suit your taste you can just not read it and refrain from leaving a snide review. However, online comments are prone to be misinterpreted in which case I apologise and you can ignore my message.

_**White Eternity:**_ As tasty as the idea sounds I don't think I should be so cruel to Beryl...yet...muahahahaha

**_Melanie-chan:_** That problem with the mobile phone privacy is a big issue and another reason why the story has been delayed. Some good suggestions you made so I'll think over them. The mobile will be featured as a large part of one of my chapters.

**_Angel-Of-Serene:_** Lol yes sorry for the delay but as I explained, my schedule has been quite tight lately. And you made a valid point about Beryl which is one of the reasons why I think she should stay in the picture and torment our beloved couple some more.

Aforementioned, the plot for the remainder of the story has been almost completely mapped out and I can tell you that it will begin to steer away from the movie's idea a bit more in later chapters, especially how he finds out about the truth. As I mentioned to Melanie-chan, the mobile phone will be a large part of the plot later on. Also, I have decided that Beryl should stay as clingy as ever, so I apologise to those people who preferred otherwise but I think this suits my plot better. Serena and Darien's friendship is going to progress further than it did in the movie before the truth comes out so the 'big secret' isn't going to be revealed until near the end. If you have any ideas of what you'd like to see in my story please let me know and I will try my best to fit it in. Meanwhile please check out my other story and tell me what you think

- Angelz Pride -


End file.
